Rewind to the 2020 Spanish GP. Sebastian Vettel, in his last visit to Barcelona with Ferrari, qualified in P11. It looked like just another typical race weekend for the Scuderia in 2020, a weekend of struggling. But how could it have been complete without the questionable strategy calls that Ferrari has become synonymous with over the years? After a first sting on the mediums for 28 laps, Ferrari put Vettel on softs and asked him to push. This was after the German asked if he had to manage his tires. Ferrari said no, and he pushed. What happened next? They asked him to manage the tires till the very end. That meant 37 laps on the softs. Needless to say, Vettel was an unhappy man despite finishing in P7. The takeaways from this story? Sebastian Vettel had trust issues at Ferrari.

Ferrari’s strategy calls have been the reason for entertainment for many non-Ferrari fans. Be it their “Question” catchphrase or even Plans A through Z. Communication and complex strategy calls have not been Ferrari’s strongest suit, at least not in recent years. Considering the apparent trust issues when it came to strategy, you would think that Vettel would’ve taken them with him to Aston Martin. Well, an insider begged to differ.

Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin adjustments

Sebastian Vettel has always been an outspoken personality about things both on and off the track. During his time on the grid, he was a ruthless competitor, always trying to find ways to get better. When he made the switch to Aston Martin in 2021, the Silverstone team’s then-race strategist, Bernie Collins, was a little intimidated. Speaking on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast, she outlined the relationship that she, the strategy team at Aston Martin, and the German driver shared.

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Collins revealed, “To have someone of his stature… He came in as a four-time world champion, a very strong persona, very well-respected in the paddock. He has often in the past been so critical of strategy that that was a real, ‘Oh, how is this going to go?’ moment.” Turns out, Collins and Aston Martin had nothing to worry about. “For him to embrace what we did, get behind it, and be on board with it and to have that relationship to the point of where he was grateful for the work that you put in, that felt really special,” Collins added.

While Vettel did not manage to get a race win with Aston Martin, he did have a wonderful couple of years there. He regained a lot of the spark he’d lost during his Ferrari years and was becoming the Sebastian Vettel of old again before he abruptly announced his retirement in 2022. From what Collins had to say, Vettel seemed to fit right in with the Silverstone squad. The former strategist further commented on what she and Aston Martin did differently that helped form a brilliant partnership with the four-time world champion.

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Vettel’s “great” relations with the Aston Martin strategy relationship

As Bernie Collins explained, the thought of working with Vettel after his Ferrari stint was intimidating. Especially considering she must’ve felt strategy was a sore topic. Tom Clarkson, the host of F1: Beyond The Grid, was curious to know how Vettel worked with the team. He asked Collins, “How apprehensive were you? How did it feel working with him? [Was it a] Judgement Day kind of thing?”

Seeing as Vettel had been critical about strategy in the past, Collins revealed, “It was very daunting, knowing that he has been critical in the past. Even in the strategy meetings, he would ask a lot of questions, very on top of what was going on, really wanted to understand the plans. It felt like a bit of spotlight on strategy just because you wanted to get off on the right foot. It was important to start on the right foot. We did that pretty successfully. The relationship was really great.”

She also adds that Vettel was an incredible resource as a strategist. His memory of races from history, what strategies worked for which driver, and other inputs made Bernie’s job a lot easier. Which Sebastian Vettel stint do you remember more fondly? His time with Ferrari or Aston Martin?

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